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The call was for some of our natural sodas made from our favourite infusions to be served at a board meeting. This board meeting, however, would be hundreds of longboard enthusiasts cruising down the city streets with skateboards built for speed.

They dressed in suits, white shirts and ties for their annual event. For two to three hours every year they careen through the city streets. One year they proudly skated through the crowd and celebrities at TIFF, the international film festival.

There is no rest for these skaters. Some of them plan to join Push for The Cure, a group who are skating across the country to raise money and awareness of the national breast cancer foundation. They will be off again, this time skating 200 kilometres from Toronto to Niagara Falls.

We are celebrating midsummer with fresh watermelon coolers. These easy drinks are a blend of fresh and frozen fruit. The twist is to add just a touch of aromatic simple syrup to the mix. Ginger syrup will give a lift to any drink. We like basil syrup, made from the fresh herbs which are plentiful right now. The subtle clove flavour of the basil syrup seems designed for watermelon. For a simple treat just drizzle the syrup over wedges of the fresh fruit.

This drink marries the two joys of summer, fresh berries and ice-cold lemonade.

To make summer berry lemonade, you puree and strain the fresh berries and add the sweet fruit to the lemon juice. Here’s your chance to experiment. Rather than using just one fruit, this lemonade needs a mix. Try raspberries or strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or even the humble mulberry.

Not sure which cocktails to make for Father’s Day? Here is a list for our favourite dads.

The Old-Fashioned Dad: He knows the difference between whiskey and bourbon and prefers simple cocktails. Whether he is an old dad or a new dad, who has just discovered the classics, make him a whiskey smash. He’ll enjoy the fresh mix of whiskey and mint.

The Free-Spirited Dad: His favourite vacation is a trip to the sea. He can tell you the names of the original Wailers and won’t let you recycle his floral shirts. Go tropical and make this dad a lime cocktail, a blend of lime, rum and brown sugar.

Sometimes an ingredient will throw you for a loop. For us, this happened when we sampled the Peruvian summer drink made from purple corn. While the drink gets its colour from deep purple corn, the flavour is from pineapple steeped with aromatic spices.

The drink dates back to the time of the Incas. “It’s an aphrodisiac,” we are told, as we are handed the fruity drink. Then, and now, purple corn, which is packed full of nutrients, is considered a food with healing abilities and, yes, magical powers.

Pineapple slices, the fruit and skin, are steeped with cinnamon and cloves. The addition of the inky-purple corn instantly changes the brew into a wine-colored drink. The mixture simmers for an hour. As the spices fill the air, the drink starts to resemble a mulled wine. It’s ready, but we prefer to let the infusion sit overnight for a fuller flavour.

It’s a refreshing drink for a warm summer day. Serve it ice cold, mixed with wedges of fresh fruit, pineapple, apples, and lime or lemon, the way you would garnish sangria.

Purple Corn Drink

5 cobs purple corn

Medium pineapple, organic if possible

2 sticks cinnamon

1 tbsp. clove

6 cups of water

Thoroughly wash pineapple since you will be using the skin

Cut the pineapple lengthwise into slices with about an inch of fruit

Add pineapple slices, spices and corn to a pot and cover with water

Simmer for an hour

Let the mixture sit overnight and strain

Sweeten to taste and serve ice cold

Garnish with wedges of remaining fresh pineapple, apples and lemon or lime

Tip:

You’ll find purple corn in Latin American and health food stores

Purple corn is said to have more powerful antioxidants than blueberries

Shaken and Stirred

The call was for some of our natural sodas made from our favourite infusions to be served at a board meeting. This board meeting, however, would be hundreds of longboard enthusiasts cruising down the city streets with skateboards built for speed. They dressed in suits, white shirts and ties for their annual […]

We are celebrating midsummer with fresh watermelon coolers. These easy drinks are a blend of fresh and frozen fruit. The twist is to add just a touch of aromatic simple syrup to the mix. Ginger syrup will give a lift to any drink. We like basil syrup, made from the fresh herbs which are […]

This drink marries the two joys of summer, fresh berries and ice-cold lemonade. To make summer berry lemonade, you puree and strain the fresh berries and add the sweet fruit to the lemon juice. Here’s your chance to experiment. Rather than using just one fruit, this lemonade needs a mix. Try raspberries or strawberries, […]

The scent of summer roses fills the garden and the kitchen. Our latest infusion is a rose syrup to flavour cocktails and drinks and drizzle over summer cakes. The syrup, which is made from dried rose petals, is easy to make and is ready in an hour. The rose, it seems, is […]

Not sure which cocktails to make for Father’s Day? Here is a list for our favourite dads. The Old-Fashioned Dad: He knows the difference between whiskey and bourbon and prefers simple cocktails. Whether he is an old dad or a new dad, who has just discovered the classics, make him a whiskey […]

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